INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wrap each beet individually in aluminum
foil; include a sprig of thyme on top of beet, salt and pepper to
taste, and drizzle 1/4 teaspoon olive oil in each package. Coat  bottom
of a small cast-iron skillet evenly with kosher salt. Place  skillet in
oven, and roast beets 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tender  enough to be
pierced with a sharp knife. Allow them to cool, and peel  skin off
beets by rubbing in between a paper towel. Quarter leeks  horizontally,
without cutting through the root end. Tie leeks  together in a bunch
with kitchen string. Bring medium pot of salted  water to a boil.
Blanch haricots verts until tender, 5 to 10 minutes.  Place ice cubes
in a medium mixing bowl and fill with cold water.  Remove from pot with
a strainer or slotted spoon, refresh in bowl of  ice water, and drain.
Blanch leeks in same pot, until tender, 10 to  15 minutes. Cool to room
temperature. Heat remaining 1/2 teaspoon  olive oil in a small skillet
over medium heat. Add walnuts; toast  until fragrant. Season with salt.
Arrange salad on individual plates  by thinly slicing one beet per
plate with a mandolin. Season beets  with salt and pepper. Arrange
haricots verts on top of beets, then  add m=E2che. Drizzle vinaigrette
over each salad. Place two slices of  goat cheese on each salad plate,
and sprinkle with toasted walnuts.  SHERRY VINAIGRETTE:  In small bowl,
whisk together sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, and  grapeseed and walnut
oils. Season to taste.  NOTES: Riad Nasr, chef of Balthazar, one of New
York City's most  popular new restaurants, shows Martha Stewart how to
compose this  deliciously balanced salad of red beets, delicate
m=E2che, leeks,  haricots verts, goat cheese, and toasted walnuts. The
flavors and  textures play off each other perfectly.  Red beets--a
great source of vitamin A--add rich color and sweetness;  toasted
walnuts and pungent goat cheese, preferably a fresh St. Maure  from
France, add texture and bite to this delicious salad.  M=E2che, a
member of the chicory family, is an exceptional green also  known as
rapunzel, feldsalat, lamb's lettuce, and corn salad, the  latter
because it is often grown in cornfields. Very delicate, sweet,  and
nutty, it's an expensive treat because of its high perishability.  The
clusters are small, made up of smooth, velvety, tongue-shaped  green
leaves. Although perfect in a salad, it can also be cooked like
spinach and used in combination with other delicate herbs and greens.
If you are unable to find m=E2che, substitute frise or watercress.
Recipe by: Martha Stewart (Balthazar's chef Riad Nasr)  Posted to
recipelu-digest by "Valerie Whittle" <catspaw@inetnow.net>  on Feb 24,
1998

A Message from our Provider:

“If God were an impersonal force we’d be superior to our Maker”

Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 264
Calories From Fat: 246
Total Fat: 28.3g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 4493.9mg
Potassium: 75.6mg
Carbohydrates: 2.6g
Fiber: 1.2g
Sugar: <1g
Protein: 2.4g